Latest Japan government News

Ex-Defense Minister Ishiba chosen to lead Japan's ruling party and become prime minister

Sep. 27, 2024 10:39 AM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s governing party on Friday picked former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba as its leader, setting him up to become prime minister next week. The party leadership is a ticket to the top job because the Liberal Democratic Party’s governing coalition controls...

Japan's soon-to-be prime minister faces big challenge as he tries to move past ruling party scandals

Sep. 27, 2024 08:42 AM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — The person chosen Friday to lead Japan's governing party, and become prime minister next week, is a veteran politician with deep policy experience, a taste for curry and anime — and big challenges ahead of him as he tries to unite a fractious party and hold off an opposition eager...

Japan’s ruling party picks former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba as leader. He will become prime minister next week

Sep. 27, 2024 02:32 AM EDT
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s ruling party picks former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba as leader. He will become prime minister next week.

Who will replace Kishida to become Japan's new prime minister?

Sep. 26, 2024 01:44 AM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — The governing party of outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida holds a key vote Friday that will establish a new national leader. The vote is limited to the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party's parliamentarians and dues-paying members. Because the party's...

Nine ruling party candidates vie to replace Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Kishida

Sep. 25, 2024 23:29 PM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — A record nine candidates are running in Japan's ruling party election Friday to replace outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. A former defense minister who is a longtime veteran, the relatively young son of a popular former prime minister and the economic security...

Steelworkers lose arbitration case against US Steel in their bid to derail sale to Nippon

Sep. 25, 2024 17:09 PM EDT

An arbitration board has ruled that U.S. Steel may proceed with its proposed acquisition by Nippon Steel, a deal that faces strong opposition from its workforce. The board, which was jointly chosen by U.S. Steel and the United Steelworkers to decide disputes between them, said...

Japan asks China to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens after a schoolboy was fatally stabbed

Sep. 24, 2024 07:56 AM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s top diplomat asked China to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens there after the fatal stabbing of a Japanese schoolboy, and demanded a crackdown on what she called “groundless, malicious and anti-Japanese” social media posts that threaten children's safety. ...

What to know from the UN: Leaders speak of emerging threats, hints of war as big meeting nears

Sep. 24, 2024 02:40 AM EDT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The security cordons are up. The streets are ready to be sealed off. Aircraft from myriad nations are landing in New York. It all means one thing for the eastern part of Manhattan: The yearly gathering of world leaders at the United Nations is at hand. ...

Japanese warplanes use flares to warn a Russian spy plane to leave airspace

Sep. 23, 2024 09:27 AM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan said its warplanes used flares to warn a Russian reconnaissance aircraft to leave northern Japanese airspace on Monday. Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara told reporters that the Russian Il-38 plane breached Japan’s airspace above Rebun Island, just off...

Biden tells Quad leaders that Beijing is testing region at turbulent moment for Chinese economy

Sep. 21, 2024 19:48 PM EDT

CLAYMONT, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden told Indo-Pacific allies on Saturday that he believes China’s increasing military assertiveness is an effort to test the region at a turbulent moment for Beijing. Biden's comments were caught by a hot mic after he and fellow leaders of...